It’s officially baseball season. The Rockies have dusted off their gloves and set to work on their destiny to becoming 2012 World Champions. Living so close to a MLB stadium is a privilege I’ve not always had, so my better half and I try to make it to Coors Field whenever possible. Whenever we go, it’s no coincidence that we seem to park next to the Great Divide brewery. Popping in to see what new brews they have on tap has become something of a pre-game ritual.

The cornerstone of the craft brewery revival in Denver, Great Divide Brewing Co. has been around for a while. Actually, a long while considering the average lifespan of many craft breweries. They began brewing in 1994 and opened their taproom doors to the public in 2005. While they first focused their efforts on their more easy drinking, mass marketable beers such as DPA (Denver Pale Ale) and Wild Raspberry Ale, they found their niche in the scene with their ultra-strong, aggressively hopped ales like Old Ruffian, Yeti, and Hercules.

Since then, their success has brought about a massive brewery expansion. Demand has been so high they have actually had to halt distribution to some of their out-of-state markets because they could not keep up with orders. A problem I bet many businesses wish they had right now.

Now, I’m sure Denver beer lovers are well aware of the wealth of offerings of Great Divide, from their beat-the-summer-heat Samurai Rice Ale to Titan, their uber-hopped IPA. But what many might not know is that they offer a few taproom-only beers to those willing to seek out the source. These beers are often brewed on their new pilot brewing system, a very small, almost homebrew sized setup. This system allows the brewers to tinker with different styles without the financial burden of a massive commercial-sized batch. It’s these creative beers that keep us as regular patrons.

Located just north of downtown, the taproom was recently expanded to double its previous square footage; a welcome change to a bar regularly packed to the gills. In addition, a front patio nearly doubles the occupancy in the warm summer months. Located on a somewhat busy street, it’s not the lazy, dog-day patio we all dream about during the cold winter months, but it can still be a pleasant respite from the noisy hubbub of the taproom. No food is served, however, regular visits from Denver’s fine selection of food trucks fill the void nicely.

Beers are fairly reasonable at $4 a piece, but note that the size of the pour will vary based on the strength of the beer. Plus, all beers are $1 off during their happy hour from 4-6 P.M. making it one of the cheaper taprooms in town. It was only last year that they began charging $1 per beer sample, but with all proceeds going to support charity, it’s hard to complain (though I still do sometimes).

Two beers have especially stuck out in recent visits. The first, the Rockies Real Ale, is a throwback to English pub beers of yore. Real Ales, as the Brits call them, are beers that are unfiltered, unpasteurized and served with active yeast. This yeast allows them to carbonate naturally with fermentation-produced CO2 instead of being forced carbonated. The finished product is a beer that is often more complex and better integrated when compared to their filtered brethren.

The Rockies Real Ale is an unfiltered, “Real” version of their award-winning pale ale, DPA. With malt flavors that pop with a unique nuttiness and floral, almost blossom-like, hop aroma notes, it makes one wish that this beer was available year round. And this is coming from a huge fan of normal DPA.

The second beer that stood out was their oak-aged double IPA. Weighing in at a hefty 10% ABV, Great Divide brewed this monster up as their 18th Anniversary Ale. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical after reading the description. The typical warm, vanilla and coconut-ey flavors from the oak didn’t seem a nice compliment to the strong, citrusy, American hops that Great Divide normally uses in their beer. However, the oak was subtle (think French Chardonnay oak versus American bourbon barrel oak) and the hops were more of the English-style, with an earthy resin flavor that blended nicely.

Who’s to say how long they’ll have these beers, but experience predicts whatever replaces them will be worth the trip. So, if you haven’t been to the taproom yet, or think that you have already conquered all that Great Divide has to offer, stop in. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Prost!